Alabama Shakes at OzAlabama Shakes appeared at Oz Music to meet fans, sign autographs and hold a listening party for their new seven-inch vinyl prior to Tuscaloosa Get Up benefit concert on Friday, March 23, 2012. (Ben Flanagan/al.com)

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama -- The Alabama Shakes recently played a sold-out concert at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Colorado, surrounded by a stunning landscape and jazzed-up fans.

“It’s just a hole-in-the-wall bar,” Howard says. “It’s my favorite. People are there; everyone wants to have a good time, and they do. It’s tiny. It’s sweaty, dark and there’s broken glass by the end of the show. I don’t know how it gets there. There are so many bars on that strip, but what’s cool about Egan’s is anybody can play there. They gave us a chance, and that’s where we started.”

Not so long ago -- about three years ago, in fact -- the Alabama Shakes struggled to get bookings at bars and nightclubs in their home state. Lightning hadn’t escaped the bottle yet; Howard and her bandmates were unknown, untested and unsigned.

The group’s rise has been stratospheric, thanks to some high-profile supporters (Jack White, the Drive-By Truckers), the release of a self-titled EP (2011) and a full-length album (2012’s “Boys & Girls”). Major festival appearances and massive media attention haven’t hurt, either.

After one 40-minute conversation with Howard, though, it’s clear that success hasn’t changed the Alabama Shakes -- at least, not in any fundamental way.

Howard, 24, remains loyal to her home state, an Alabama native through and through. She longs for sweet tea and Hardee’s biscuits, even when the music industry tries to douse her with champagne.

She’s not complaining, mind you. Part of Howard relishes the travel, the excitement, the acclaim and the chance to make music on the world stage. The rural South of her childhood simply has a strong pull; it gives her a sense of ease, peace and refuge.

“Some days I am just kind of in awe,” Howard says, reflecting on the Shakes’ fame. “I remember being little and thinking, ‘What am I going to do in my life?’ What I want to do is this. And now I’m doing it. I think about where I’m from. I think about every step of the way, the future.”

Over the past year, Howard’s managed to squeeze in a few days of R&R here and there, making visits to Athens that include play dates with Ozzy, the cat she shares with her mom. (“He’s 15 pounds and super chill,” Howard says.)

In April, Howard and some of her bandmates attended the Waverly Boogie, a music festival near Auburn, and she thrilled at the chance to sing backup for headliner Charles Bradley.

“It was just one song,” says Howard, who teamed with the Daptone Records artist on “Victim of Love.” “I also got a chance to introduce Charles, which is awesome. I’m a huge fan.”

Brittany Howard and the Alabama Shakes performed on June 2, 2103, at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colo. The band posted 34 photos from the show on its Facebook page, courtesy of Jesse Borrell/NoCoast. (Alabama Shakes Facebook/Jesse Borrell/NoCoast).

This weekend, Howard says, she’s looking forward to her first visit to Birmingham’s Sloss Furnaces, where the Alabama Shakes will perform two sold-out shows. She’s never been to the old ironworks before, not even as a spectator, and rumors of ghosts at the site don’t spook her.

“Sloss is a place I’ve always wanted to go to,” Howard says. “My friends wanted to see the White Stripes there (in 2007), and I’m killing myself because I missed it. ... I just don’t want to get haunted. I don’t want to bring any ghosts back with me.”

She’ll have her bandmates for protection, in any case: bassist Zac Cockrell, guitarist Heath Fogg, drummer Steve Johnson and keyboard player Ben Tanner. They’re a tightly meshed unit -- Howard scoffs at folks who predict that she’ll leave the Shakes for a solo career -- and if all goes well, two new songs by the Shakes could make an appearance on the setlists here, as they did at Red Rocks.

The tunes have working titles, but Howard’s not inclined to specify them. The Shakes haven’t really begun to develop the next album yet, she says. But ideas for fresh material sometimes pop up, and the band works well under pressure.

“Honestly, if we want to write a song, we just go ahead and write a song and play it live,” Howard says. “When we’re rehearsing, maybe we have an idea, and we play that real quick.”

“Pocket Change,” a bonus track from “Boys & Girls,” was featured on the just-released soundtrack for the HBO series “True Blood.” In general, though, the Shakes are easing into the creative process, giving it a chance to simmer.

“It’s very important to take your time, and I want it to be that way, too,” Howard says. “We want to take as much time as we need. There’s no rush to put out a record.”

Brittany Howard and Charles Bradley posed for this photo at the 2102 Sasquatch! Festival in George, Wash. Two joined forces on stage in 2013, at the Waverly Boogie in Alabama. (Alabama Shakes Facebook/Instagram feed)

Ideally, she says, the Shakes’ sophomore release would be developed in Athens -- “sitting at home, placid and chill” -- using the grassroots system that’s been fruitful in the past.

Howard has contributed her talents to a couple of side projects in the meantime, including a single with Ruby Amanfu for White’s Third Man Records. The two vocalists covered “I Want You” by Sixto Rodriguez, the singer-songwriter profiled in the documentary “Searching for Sugar Man,” and Memphis Minnie’s “When My Man Comes Home.”

“I just kind of do what’s cool for me,” Howard says. “Ruby is a friend of mine.”

She chuckles and demurs when the conversation turns to Thunderbitch, an on-again, off-again band that pairs Howard with players from Fly Golden Eagle and Clear Plastic Masks. They’ve played a couple of shows, inspiring Internet mentions and a Facebook page, but apparently the project is top secret.

“I don’t know anything about that,” Howard says.

She’s forthcoming about everything else, from her vintage clothing choices to her self-taught guitar skills, so it’s only fair to let Howard off the hook. For the Grammys, by the way, she was outfitted by designer Billy Reid, who’s based in Florence.

“He said, ‘What kind of dresses do you like?’ I wanted to do something classic,” Howard says. “My grandma was there, and I wanted to look nice. That’s the way I was raised, that classic kind of look. I wanted a dress with a sense of respect for yourself.”

Howard’s handling her career in a similar fashion, placing an emphasis on self-respect as she makes music with like-minded colleagues. She’s seeing the world, yet sticking to her roots -- and that’s exactly how the Alabama girl likes it.

“My life has changed a whole lot,” Howard concludes. “But I think I wanted it to.”